UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — At its Nov. 30 meeting, the Penn State Faculty Senate discussed the University’s July 2021 acknowledgement of land and recognition of Indigenous peoples; how the senate can better support Indigenous communities at Penn State; and the results of a survey of faculty opinions about the University’s return to campus for the fall 2021 semester.

Among other items of business, the senate also passed an update to Penn State’s policy detailing faculty responsibilities related to private business and consulting outside the University.

Acknowledgement of land

Tracey Peterson, director of student transitions and pre-college programs in the Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion, presented the University’s acknowledgement of land to the senate. Originally released on July 19 and developed in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples Student Association and the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance, the statement acknowledges the Indigenous peoples native to the lands upon which Penn State is now built and states the University strives to honor them as the original caretakers of the land, while modeling their responsible stewardship.

Peterson, who was closely involved with the development of the acknowledgement statement, said its creation was an important step in recognizing Indigenous communities and working to better understand and meet the unique needs of Indigenous faculty, students and staff.

"The acknowledgement of land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to tribal nations,” Peterson said. “It’s a way to honor the Indigenous people who have lived and worked on the land.”

In discussing the acknowledgement, the senate outlined its goal to assess the needs of Indigenous peoples and communities at Penn State, with the aim of better understanding gaps in equity, resources,  representation and inclusion. Senators identified collaboration with Indigenous organizations, colleagues and students at all campuses, combined with a mindful approach that does not create additional work or undue burden on these stakeholders, as important elements of its needs assessment process. The senate will continue discussing the needs assessment process, with recommendations to be brought to the senate floor at a future meeting.

Return-to-campus faculty survey results

During the first week of fall classes, Senate Chair Bonj Szczygiel requested the distribution of a senate-led survey on faculty satisfaction with Penn State’s return to campus. Penn State Abington’s Ad Hoc Committee on Data and Policy presented their summary of the survey results of more than 1,300 University faculty members from all campus locations. The survey was administered between Aug. 25 and Sept. 2.

“Quantitative results showed that faculty return to in-person teaching has overall been generally positive,” according to senate materials summarizing the results, with nearly 76% of faculty reporting feeling satisfied with student masking rates and more than 58% reporting satisfaction with the overall in-person teaching environment.

The results also indicated that more than 45% of faculty were “extremely dissatisfied” with the University’s overall COVID-19 response, with an additional 24% of faculty reporting being moderately dissatisfied, with dissatisfaction being shaped by opinions on vaccine mandates, and with vaccine status reporting and student testing procedures. Seventy-four percent of faculty reported dissatisfaction with the University’s stance on a vaccine mandate (prior to the current federal mandate now in place), with additional concerns reported around unclear guidance, challenges related to in-classroom and remote accommodations, and flexibility in teaching modes.

Szczygiel said the survey captured faculty experiences from a challenging period, and she encouraged members of the University community to examine the findings and analysis available on the senate website.

Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Nick Jones, during his remarks to the senate, affirmed the University continues to undertake a multi-pronged response to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring masking in indoor venues and using a combination of incentives and ease of vaccine availability that have driven high vaccination rates across the commonwealth. Jones noted that positivity rates have remained low throughout the semester and that vaccination rates remain strong, with more than 89% of students and over 87% of employees reporting vaccination at University Park, compared to Centre County’s overall vaccination rate of 57.9%, according to the University’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Jones also noted that, as part of a federal executive order, all employees at every Penn State location are now required to show proof of full vaccination, with a deadline of Jan. 4. All employees should familiarize themselves with the requirements for compliance with the executive order and submit their required documentation by the Jan. 4 deadline.

Jones affirmed that the health and safety of the Penn State community continues to be Penn State’s top priority, and that the University is closely monitoring the emergence of the new Omicron variant as more information on the variant becomes available.

Updates from University leadership

Penn State President Eric J. Barron highlighted the ongoing success of Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which has seen more than 5,000 entrepreneurs accessing services through the University’s Launchboxes across the commonwealth, and which he recently discussed with Pennsylvania lawmakers in Harrisburg and with the University’s board of trustees.

The recently announced Center for Racial Justice — a recommendation of the Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety — continues to be an important priority, with Barron stating that the center’s director is expected to be identified by mid-spring.

Barron also discussed capital planning, noting the pandemic has had a significant impact on the University’s budget that has led to the strategic decision to reduce capital spending and focus on high-priority projects until the University is more fully recovered from these budgetary impacts.

Barron shared topics of conversation among fellow university presidents and chancellors in the American Association of Universities, including the importance of research, high levels of political and cultural polarity, and the role of universities in preserving democracy. Barron also touched on the Nov. 3 presentation made by Milo Yiannopoulos on the University Park campus, condemning his rhetoric and praising the response of the Penn State community for its strong support of the “Love is Louder” event held the same night.

In addition to his remarks on the University’s ongoing COVID-19 response, Jones gave an update on the University’s enrollment. He said enrollment remains steady overall, despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some areas of enrollment have seen decreases, such as a slight decline in graduate student enrollment, other areas including international and undergraduate enrollment have experienced increases in the same time period. Jones said that Penn State’s enrollment outlook remains positive, and the University is well-positioned to weather the negative impacts caused by the pandemic.

The provost also updated the senate on the University’s $7.7 billion total operating budget for the 2021-22 academic year, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in July. The budget includes a 2.5% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students, a 2.75% tuition increase for out-of-state students, and a $10 million increase to student aid. Jones said he and the University Budget Office are working closely with departments across the University on how units across Penn State are implementing a 1% rescission to offset revenue shortfalls due to the pandemic’s impact on enrollment.

Additional senate business

The senate passed a proposed revision to University policy AC80, which details faculty responsibilities and disclosures related to private business or consulting conducted outside the University. The policy revisions reflect new federal regulatory requirements, align policy AC80 with other University policies, and streamline the reporting and disclosure process. The proposed revisions will next be sent to University leadership for review and implementation.

In other business, the senate also:

• Voted to add diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to the standing rules of four of the senate’s committees as part of the its efforts to incorporate DEI into all of its work as appropriate;
• Voted to clarify two University policies related to promotion processes for non-tenure line faculty members in interdisciplinary and defense-related research units;
• Held a forensic discussion on microcredentialing within higher education, which refers to the recognition of learning at a level smaller than degree or credit unit, as well as the senate’s role in these educational experiences, with the goal of guiding the Senate’s future work around this topic; and,
• Heard annual reports from the Senate Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities, the Senate Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics and the Senate Committee on Faculty Benefits.

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held virtually on Jan. 25, 2022.